Chapter 12
Chapter twelve
Atlas
“What are you thinking?” Atlas came close. The entire walk, the entire day really, had been full of him watching her reactions. Right now he could sense she was uneasy, with that heart of hers going a mile a minute. Back to fear again.
“Oh.” Anna shrugged her shoulders. “I was just trying to think about the last time I was in a building this big.”
“And?”
“I was thinking it looked like an old church, actually. That’s the only place I’ve seen this big inside.”
A church? There were no religious symbols anywhere here. No pews, no texts, no statues. “Did you go to many churches?”
“No. It’s more the feeling.” She waved around. “They were ruins and, well, sacred.”
“Ah.” Atlas smiled. “Sacred? That’s a sweet way to see your new home.”
A flush spread across Anna’s face, and then a second later her heartbeat started galloping even harder.
The others had already walked ahead, down one of the endless halls, but Atlas briefly put his hand over Anna’s. Fingertips warm and calloused. “Your heart. You’re afraid? It’s alright. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
She didn’t pull away. “It’s just all new.”
He gave her fingers a quick squeeze. “Come this way. After you get settled, everything will hopefully become more familiar.”
“I’m sure it will.”
Atlas quickly removed his hand, seeing the flush deepen. Silently by her side, he tried to think of something to talk about. The architecture? No. The technology? No. Anna already had no reference if the only thing she could compare the building to was a church.
What about where they were taking her? The human quarters?
The fact that they were walking into potential complications?
Possible judgments? Anna was right to be afraid.
Guilt pressed down on him. The facility itself was not dangerous, but the beings within .
. . Atlas wasn’t quite certain anymore who was friend or foe.
At least he was the one leading them in instead of Stella.
Simon walked at Nora’s side with Tilly flanked in between them, holding one of each of her hands. Every once in a while, they passed an android who watched them as they walked down the hall.
Thankfully, Simon broke the silence. He scanned the walls, his head moving methodically side to side. “How many androids live here, Atlas? There were quite a few waiting for us outside.”
“There’s more than that.” He quickly calculated everyone in his mind. “There are two hundred and seventy-eight androids still operating at this facility.”
Anna’s step faltered. “This facility?”
“There are four facilities here on the planet; we take turns circling through and monitoring them.”
“Oh.” She looked around him. “Where are they all now?”
“They are waiting for later tonight to formally meet you at dinner. But they are watching.” He pointed above to a fish-eye lens, several of them, that lined the tile ceiling.
Anna glanced up at them. Her hands balled up at her sides. “Is there any time that we’re not watched?”
“Data and monitoring are a part of our life, but there is no monitoring in the bathrooms or your private rooms.” He frowned before mumbling, “Please don’t take offense.”
Even to him, the words landed hollow. Don’t take offense? Even Atlas could feel how inadequate that phrase was.
“I didn’t expect any different, really.” Simon frowned. “Though I’m glad we have privacy somewhere.”
Anna didn’t say anything more. She smiled at each android they passed, but received only stares back. The longer they walked the halls, the weaker each of her smiles became. She didn’t seem to mind, but Atlas registered every minute expression.
Every time she glanced down.
Every deep breath.
“Here, outside.” Atlas gestured away from the staring androids to the forest through the glass. “There’s more about here I can share. This facility was the first place that was established. Back when we initially came to Mars, all of the resources started here.”
Anna pressed a hand to the window. “Does the forest wrap around everywhere?”
“Yes.” Atlas said. “We planted like no tomorrow in those days, trying to get everything established. In fact, we had to clear some land even when we started the factories.”
“The factories?”
“Watch. Around this corner.” He gently tugged on her arm to have her walk forward. “In a few more steps, we will turn and I’ll show you the factories.”
True to his word, they turned a second later, and more buildings dotted the outside landscape. Rows and rows of them.
Tilly immediately pressed against the window, Simon right behind. “They’re even bigger than here!”
“They are!” Atlas tapped the glass. “This is where we manufacture everything this colony needs and what we take back to Earth for the drops.”
“Factories.” Anna eyed the massive operation. “Is that where we can work?”
Atlas’s eyebrows contracted. “No. Everything is mostly automated.”
“Oh.” Anna nibbled her lip. “Well, what jobs are there for us to do?”
He paused in the hallway, the evening sun coming in at a slant. “You don’t have to work here. It will make more sense once you see the human quarters.”
“But . . .” Anna’s footsteps faltered. “What will we do all day?”
“Don’t worry,” Nora said from her side, “I’m sure we’ll be able to find something to do to help out.”
“. . .Yeah.”
Atlas winced. He was bringing them to the human living area and the elderly humans inside. They definitely had never worked a day in their life, and acted like the humans he had known all his life. None of the wild joy like he had seen out at the lake.
Maybe this all was a mistake? Would introducing them change Anna?
It was too late now though, as they’d arrived at the human quarters, the ornate door just ahead. He stopped mid-step, and Anna bumped into his backside.
“Oh.” She stumbled back. “Sorry.”
“No. I stopped suddenly.” He reached out a hand to steady her. “Here is the human living area. You can claim a room here. We built it to sustain a much larger population than we have now.”
“A much larger population?”
“We’re here?” Tilly ran to the front and knocked on the door. “Is this our new home?”
“Let’s go in,” Atlas said. “It will make more sense then. Our elderly humans are waiting to meet you.”
“Wait,” Anna mumbled, attempting to smooth down her windswept hair. “First impressions are important.”
Atlas looked away. They reminded him of a fable from Earth. The one about a lion leading lambs to be eaten. He punched in the code on the doorway anyway, hoping he was wrong.